CBC NewsOntario is introducing regulatory changes to address "conflict of interest scenarios" involving real estate agents who represent both sides of a sale, but has stopped short of a ban on the controversial practice of "double-ending."
The proposed changes, recently announced by the Minister of Government and Consumer Affairs Tracy MacCharles at Queen's Park, would mean tighter rules for salespersons, brokers and brokerages representing more than one party in a real estate deal.READ MORE

REM According to one Gallup poll, 50 per cent of employees leave their job because of their bosses. Other studies have shown that employees leave for several other reasons such as opportunity, better pay or more responsibility. Regardless, attracting and retaining quality staff is not only good for the bottom line, it's good for customer service. So here are five ways to best attract and retain great staff.
READ MORE

Government of Ontario The following statement was issued recently by Peter Milczyn, Minister of Housing and Minister Responsible for the Poverty Reduction Strategy and Bill Mauro, Minister of Municipal Affairs, after the second meeting of the Housing Forum:
"We created the Housing Forum — a group of economists, builders, academics, planners, municipal representatives and other professionals in the real estate sector — to get a range of perspectives and ideas on the state of Ontario's housing market and assess the progress of the Fair Housing Plan. READ MORE

Insauga There's never a dull day in real estate.
Now that fall is here, the market is, once again, showing signs of change.
And for the first time in a few months, prices are increasing in some segments (and especially in the condo market). READ MORE

REM The real estate brokerage is a mysterious animal. Unlike a typical 9 to 5 office scenario, it is an environment where each salesperson or broker is, despite whatever temporary alliances or partnerships are formed, solely responsible for his or her output — and for his or her success. But given that many salespeople within a brokerage collaborate with each other on marketing, development deals or on the transaction side, the brokerage also saddles its salespeople with traditional commitments: being a member of a team. The brokerage still retains the lineage of the 9 to 5 office life. And that can be a good thing.
READ MORE